The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1887-10-01
THE JAR OF LESBOS.
AN ANCIENT TALE WITH PROBABLY MOD
ERN APPLICATION.

which heen long and sultry merged
abruptly into pale starlight. An
old man on foot, who had toiled
since morning along the whitened
road, looked out hopelessly from a
dusky hilltop to faint glow on the
eastern horizon which marked the
site of the ancient city, Lesbos.
He was a strange old man, and
the manner of his attire was unfam-
iliar to the environs OF Lesbos. His
only burden was IL closed vessel of
stone, curiously inscribed with mys-
tic hierglypics This might well
have been of some intrinsic value,
for he clung to it with both arms.
And his strength failed him.
Three times as he looked forth
from the brow of the hill he shook
his thin locks in mute dispair. He
toiled far and long only to sink
down upon the threshold only to
look upon this glow in the sky above
the city of his hopes. Because he
had no longer the strength to stand, /,
he sank upon IL wayside stone, his
precious burden between his knees,
and his head feel forward till his for
head touched it.
Out of the stupor into which he
had then sank, he was aroused some
hours later when the black sky
made setting for its countless jew
els, by young man who chanced
to pass that way.
"Why sit you here, iather?" the
young man asked. Are you over
come with fatigue ?"
The old man answered with the
impressive solemnity of conviction
"With more than fatigue, my SON
The sands of my life have nearly
run out"
The young man sought to lift tho
heavy spirit which these words in.
dicated, and so gradually entered
into protracted conversation with
the stranger The old man an
swered with but few words at first
but anon became more free to ut
ter his mind.
"Hear me-" he said at last. 81
am old. | have travelled far to com
plete mission, and find mysel
fainting at the eleventh hour. Yol
who are young, seem to me to bl
both discreet and worthy. VIII.
may you not reap my harvest
Destiny throws you in the way II
receive the mantle which falls from
my shoulders. Know then, that
who am about to die have discover
ed most powerful and salutary sc
cret-the secret of all miracles, of al
strange cures and of much that give
power to religions, and the god
which no man has seen. That st
cret have sealed within this jar.
"And may open it?" cried tn
young man eagerly.
"No, mol Hear me out, pra
, you. The popularity of the secrt
is that to be eflicacious it must r,
main secret. So soon as the hi
ture of the power becomes know
the wonders which it has worked wi
cease. myself, the discoverer, VIZ
but now on my way to Lesbos, t
seek out some young man like you
self, full of enthusiasm and faitl
who should become my apostl
and cry out the virtues of this III
known power to the world. But
bethought me that this apostle migl
e himself judge only from distanc
like the multitude. Its fruits shoul
b be to him the guarantee of its inte
rity. The secret must remain in Il
vessel which 1 have wrought arour
it. When forty years have elapsC
the jar may be broken, and l sha
have demonstrated to the world
great truth, and you will have b
, come rich. But yet, | warn yo
I the power will have fled"
= "These things which you ha-
+ told me are almost too marvelor
to be believed" the young ma
f said.
"True indeed" the old man a
& swered, without anger. "But whe
my words are weak your expe-
ence will convince you. Rememb
that the charm is not infallib
Some there arc whose woes this me
icine will not reach, Others VIII,
they have slept all night within Il
radius fits perfume, will find Il
evil which is in them gone. tt
you will see offyourself Now "
know everything. Shall l exact
solemn promise from you that W
fulfill the conditions which | ha
imposed, deliver over to you the pl
cious fruits of sixty years ofthoug
and investigation, and be in peace